We booked a double seaview room at this hotel and on arrival were offered a very small room on the third floor which was absolutely awful. My husband liked the view from the balcony but that was the only redeeming feature. (I'll attach some pictures). The room looked like it hadn't been decorated for decades and the bathroom was old and tiny. Grim would be my overall description. The old fashioned lift to access the room was tiny and the only alternative to using this was a claustrophobic spiral staircase.
I asked for an alternative room and was offered an upgrade for 20 euros per night. The receptionist appeared unconcerned that i'd disliked the other room and gave me the key to go and view the alternative. The new room was a complete contrast to the first, it was large, modern, fabulous bathroom, nice TV and fridge, quiet, fantastic views and had a massive terrace with sun loungers. The difference was remarkable.
The customer service at this hotel is very minimal and the breakfasts are nothing to write home about but the location is excellent. If you can get a room in the modern part of this hotel i'd recommend it to anyone. However if its a room in the old section i'd rather sleep on the beach.... seriously.
I've found it difficult to score this hotel so have gone with an average due to experiencing the two different rooms.

My wife and i stayed in the hotel in September 2011 as part of our Italian honeymoon. We found the reception staff to be friendly and breakfast was good. Unfortunately we only had a standard room on the 4th floor which overlooked the road. The room was too warm and the AC didn't seem to make a difference - when we asked staff we were told the AC levels were all pre-set and couldn't be altered! The reception on the portable tv in the room was poor and the only English channel was CNN. The hotel is in a nice location next to the castle - check out II Castello bar for a drink and a snack or Solebar next door which we found to be pretty good as well. As per the other TA reviews, i would definately suggest choosing a room with a sea view. Overall Rapallo provides a good base for visiting the surrounding areas and the hotel is ideally placed for the trains, bus and ferry

Staff were friendly and helpful - receptionist phoned to check if cable car was running on day of transport strike, replaced bulb from wall light instantly. Free internet access so complaints about wi-fi bring temperamental are pointless. Decent breakfast and staff dealt efficiently with any requests. Single room was reasonable size although balcony small. No problems with water pressure and cleaned to good level daily, fridge in room was useful. Good location for restaurants and public transport with great views. Rapallo is excellent base for exploring area - easy to get to Genova by train, also went as far as La Spezia and Asti on train trips and ideal for boat trips to San Fruttuoso / Portofino and Cinque Terre.

Stayed here for 7 nights. Unlike other reviewers we found the staff quite friendly. This is a 3 star hotel and many aspects are of that grade but it deserves a 5 star for views and location.

Rapallo is an excellent base for this area and the hotel is about a 5 minute walk to the bus and train stations.

Most of the sea view rooms are South facing so get the sun all day.

This was our second stay and we would come again.